


The Last Woman Standing

by ProjectFreelancerTrash



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Suicidal Thoughts, Violence, Wakes & Funerals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-20 01:52:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3632178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProjectFreelancerTrash/pseuds/ProjectFreelancerTrash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy Washington came home with her sister's fiancee to escape the war zone after she lost her team. Carolina decided to return to the war zone. When Darcy wanted her to come home, it wasn't like this. In a fit of PTSD, Darcy is saved by a woman with an umbrella. Darcy starts to think that if she hadn't met this woman, Tucker, that maybe she would've regretted what came next.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Last Woman Standing

**Author's Note:**

> I don't really like writing Genderswaps but when you have to write a short story for school, you grab it and run with it.

Being left alone was something Darcy always enjoyed. She reveled in walking alone along the streets, or curling up with her cat, Allison. She figured being alone would save her from the social anxiety of it all. She figured that maybe it wouldn’t hurt as much to lose someone again. 

Then why was she standing in a cemetery surrounded by soldiers saluting a closed, black casket draped with the flag of their country? Why was she staring at a tombstone chiseled with her sister’s name? 

A sister fallen in action, the tombstone read. 

York, her sister’s fiance, took her pale hand and led her to the podium in front of the soldiers to speak. York announced who she was, the sister of the fallen warrior mourned today. The soldiers dressed in blues went rigid when they recognized her; most likely from guilt. 

Darcy stared at them with useless anger. She knew it wasn’t their fault Carolina ran into the line of fire to save them. When Carolina’s mind was made up, it was made up. Nothing you can say to Carolina could change that. Not even begging her to stay home; Darcy knew that from personal experience. 

Darcy’s eyes flit over the piece of paper York nudges into her limp hands. He whispers in her ear that he wants her to read it, so they can finally bury Carolina like the hero she is; purple heart and all. 

She didn’t write this. 

She didn’t prepare for _this_. 

York must have done it; knowing she could not plan out her own sister’s funeral. She could not plan it; not after having to plan her team’s funerals just months earlier. Six flags at home, folded neatly by her window, reminded her of her team’s sacrifice. All of them with no family to pass that flag down to except her and York, the now last living members of her squad. 

Now, as she would step down from the podium, she takes one more flag to remind her of one last sacrifice. Never abandon your team, Carolina’s words echo in Darcy’s head. 

“Never abandon your team.” Darcy murmurs, tucking the paper York gave her into his hand before nudging her fair bangs out of her eyes. “Those who knew Carolina knew that was her life motto. When we were on our own in the world, it was ‘Never abandon your family’…” 

Her voice was moist and cracked from all the tears she was holding back. 

She swallowed again before quivering as she continued, “Some things just never turn out exactly the way we want it. Carolina wanted to save her troops, and return home. My team wanted to have another successful mission. York wanted to survive, and me? I wanted my sister to come home to me... I guess life decided that we would get our wishes but at its own price.” 

Darcy looked at York and nodded her finish. His eye burned white from the frag grenade that should’ve ended his life but instead just took his half of his eyesight. The familiar feeling of tightness filled her throat as she held back the need to cry. 

York took her hand and led her own from the podium. Two soldiers were lifting the flag draped on the casket. It looked like they were lifting the blanket off a fallen child. When they started to fold it, Darcy couldn’t help but bring her hand up in one final salute. 

As they walked towards her with the flag, the sob couldn’t be held back. Her fingers reached out to the flag like a wanting child as her let out a choked wail of despair. Her eyes flooded with tears as her arms wrapped around the bundle of cloth. She held on to it like it was Carolina herself standing there; telling her goodbye. Her knees buckled as she collapsed to the ground in agony. She bawled into the red fabric as she curled around it. 

Her fingers twitching as she rubbed it out of habit; almost expecting Allison to be there. The soft fabric reminding her of the flags at home. The flags at home that mocked her at night. She had failed her team. She had failed Carolina. She abandoned her family, and now she was alone. 

York bent down to try and comfort her but she bolted up with a terrorized scream. Her second hand instinct kicking in and she bolts out of the cemetery. 

York called after her but didn’t bother running. She was the fastest one in their squad. If she wanted to be gone, she would be gone. 

Carolina flew over the fence of the cemetery and ran across the street. Her feet thumping loudly against the ground; matching only half the speed her heart was beating at. Her mind taking the sounds and manipulating her sights to drown her in memories. 

The cool, humid air that predicted rain morphed into the burning, arid air of the desert. Darcy’s breath became labored as she struggled to breath over the hot air as if she still had her mask firmly tied to her face. Her mind became sharply focused; high on adrenaline. It focused, however, on the memories of her team. 

The honking horns on the streets became deafening explosions that had her flinching out of the way. 

The flag felt like lead as it turned into her rifle. 

The shouts of people protesting her shoves were her teammates falling one by one. 

_“Who’s the monster now?!”_

 _“South, no!”_

 _

“Watch out!” 

“Go! Go! I’m right behind-”

_ A car horn blared through her thoughts. 

_“It was a trap.”_ The guttural croak of her team mate, stating the obvious as Darcy held him. 

_“Yes, and you did great. We won. We won, and help is on the way.”_ Darcy murmured, holding on tightly to his body. Her other hand stained red from holding pressure on his neck. A nicked carotid wasn’t going to best her; not when she already lost so many to the fight. 

Before she could reply, she saw it. The life in his eyes was fading, just like South’s when Darcy held her hand after she stood too close to the landmine. 

_“Maine, please stay with me.”_ An exhale left but an inhale never returned. 

_“Please!”_

A clap of thunder pulled her to the surface but the droplets of water pulled her out of it. Just in time for someone to wrap their arm around her waist and lift her out of the way of a speeding bus. 

An arm pulled her into a body as the stranger turned so that the bus was between Darcy and the stranger. The bus stopped with a hiss, and nobody seemed to notice that Darcy nearly lost her life. 

Nobody except the stranger that was sidestepping her away from the crowd boarding the bus. The woman set Darcy’s feet on the ground but didn’t let go until they were a safe enough distance away from the bus. 

“Wow, that was the coolest thing I’ve done like ever.” The woman huffs out, gasping for breath. Darcy barely heard her as she worried over the flag in her hands. She didn’t breathe until she could assure herself it was safe. The woman’s smile faltered as she glanced down at Darcy; taking in her black hoodie and clean flag. 

“Hey babe, you okay?” The woman questions, tilting her head. The way she asked alerted Darcy that she wasn’t just talking about the almost death incident. 

Darcy glances up, and shakes her head before glancing down. The woman’s dreadlocks swung as she tilted her head despite her looking down at Darcy. Her ebony arm tightened protectively around Darcy’s shoulders. 

“No, not really.” Darcy breathed, her voice harsh from the day’s burden. 

The girl’s eyes narrowed in contemplation before opening her mouth. Darcy stiffened, and hoped she didn’t ask questions. She hoped she just left her alone. 

“I’m Tucker, and I’ve always wanted to share my umbrella with an angel.” The woman greets, pulling her arm off Darcy completely before moving her other arm down. 

Darcy hadn’t noticed but Tucker held an umbrella in her hand that kept the rain off of them. She brought the umbrella closer to the ground so it covered Darcy’s short figure. Tucker’s hair brushing across the top of the umbrella. 

Tucker turned to face the bus stop with a small smile on her lips before going silent. Darcy was relieved that Tucker just left her alone while giving her shelter. She didn’t really want to talk but she didn’t know where to go. 

Darcy turned away from Tucker, and glanced around. The rain was pouring down hard causing her eyesight to fail considerably. Her mind instantly flipped to York, and his eyesight. 

_Oh no, he won’t be able to see very well. How will he walk home?_ Darcy worried, turning exhausted towards the direction she assumed she ran from. 

She thought about it and then turned again because perhaps it was actually this direction. Darcy took a deep breathe, counted like her therapist told her to and let it out slowly. The thought hit her suddenly that she was completely and utterly screwed. 

Her knees became weak, and all she wanted to do was collapse. Tucker, who was observing Darcy curiously, shucked her jacket and placed it on the wet bus bench before tugging Darcy down on it. 

Darcy could do little else but comply. 

“I know it’s a lot to think about.” Tucker said after a period of silence. Darcy peeked over at Tucker, and vice versa. 

“When I found out my son died in a car crash when I was overseas, I hated myself for feeling nothing at first. When I arrived for his funeral, I cried my eyes out. 

Then I blamed his father for being so stupid to leave him in the hands of a babysitter. After that, I blamed myself. Why did I let my stupid ex take my son? Why did I stay in the army? I never liked it anyway.” 

Tucker stopped and look down at the hole in her jeans, before tugging on the threads. 

“It wasn’t until I was standing at a bridge and looking down at the waves that I snapped out of my rage.” Tucker continued, looking up at Darcy. 

“I realized that if my boy walked up to me right then and there. What would he see? He would see his mother breaking her word. When in doubt, work it out and I definitely wasn’t working things out.” She informed Darcy with a small smile tugging at her lips. 

“What I wouldn’t give to see him again.” She quietly whispers, her fingers lingering on the worn thread. 

“What do you want most in the world?” Tucker suddenly asks, turning to look at Darcy. 

Darcy’s fingers pet where her jacket outlined the triangle that laid against her chest. Her mind focused on Carolina, and a tear fell down her cheek. With quick haste, she wiped it away. 

Did she really want Carolina back? The more she thought about Carolina’s death; the more she realized that Carolina got what she wanted. She wanted to save lives, and be the best at what she did. Darcy knew that Carolina would die young but she didn’t want her to leave. 

Carolina died doing something she loved. 

Maybe last goodbyes would’ve been what Darcy wanted but had Carolina really left her? The flag lay heavy against her chest and she tightened her arms around the flag. Carolina raised her, and was basically her mother. 

Darcy suddenly realized that if she died, then the last of Carolina would be gone. 

Just as suddenly, Darcy had an epiphany. She didn’t want Carolina back above all. That would be selfish of her. She just didn’t want to be alone. She didn’t want to be alone. She wanted to have a consistent, not-so-lonely life with no ups or downs; just a life that keeps a constant pace. 

She said as much to the waiting Tucker. 

Tucker nodded, and replied, “If you told them that, would they want you to have that?” 

Darcy glanced back up at Tucker, and without hesitance answered, “Yes. Of course she would want me to have that.” 

“Then, you should go and do that. Don’t forget about her but don’t let what could’ve been drown you.” Tucker replies, turning to watch as a bus rolled up to the curb. 

Darcy looks quickly at the bus with worry. “Is this your bus?” She questions. 

“Yeah, but I suddenly feel the need to walk that way.” Tucker answers, pointing a thin finger in a direction that brought familiarity to Darcy. Through the recollection of memories, Darcy realized that that was the direction she ran from. 

Darcy didn’t smile but Tucker could see the relief in Darcy’s eyes. 

Tucker stood and Darcy followed suit. 

They strolled in the rain towards the cemetery. Tucker didn’t attempt to touch Darcy, but her presence caused a comfortable silence. 

York was stupidly waiting for Darcy under a tree. His hands were stuffed in his fancy pockets, and his hair smothered his eyes. 

Darcy pointed him out to Tucker, and they walked over to him. Darcy tapped on York’s arm for him to finally notice her. 

“Oh thank god.” York breathed when his good eye locked on her before pulling her in for a hug as Darcy cried into his shoulder. “I was so worried, D.” 

“Is this yours?” Tucker asks with a smile. 

York snorted with a hint of amusement, and nodded. “Yeah, yeah she is.” 

Darcy pulled away from York and turned to Tucker. 

“You don’t even know my name.” Darcy protested, wiping her eyes dry. 

“That’s usually how one night stands work.” Tucker jokes, her smile widening. 

Darcy sighed at how bad that joke was which only made Tucker and York snort in laughter. “Let’s not make it one of those.” Darcy says, scrunching her nose before offering reluctantly, “Come wait out the rain with me, and York. Then you can be on your merry way, and I can say goodbye to Carolina.” 

Tucker’s happy face turns serious. Tucker takes a deep breath before “I appreciate the offer but I actually did need to come this way… You aren’t the only one that the cemetery need to see today.” 

Darcy thinks back to Tucker’s little boy before nodding and saying, “Come on York. Carolina would’ve punched me if she knew I ran away from her own funeral. Let’s say goodbye.” 

She offers her arm to York, and walks underneath Tucker’s umbrella as they moved into the cemetery.


End file.
